High Tide Resources (CSE:HTRC) has produced concentrate grading up to 68.24% iron in flotation test work at its Labrador West Iron Project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Testing by German laboratory SGA covered hematite, magnetite-carbonate, and goethite material. Concentrates averaged 67.7% iron (Fe) on a weighted basis, with combined silica (SiO₂) and alumina (Al₂O₃) averaging 1.0%.
The magnetite-carbonate concentrate returned 68.24% Fe, 0.30% SiO₂, and 0.15% Al₂O₃. Hematite material produced 68.13% Fe, while the goethite concentrate graded 65.99% Fe.
Executive VP Michael Zurowski says the results provide proof of concept for producing direct reduction-quality concentrate.
“Flotation testing of the three ore types produced concentrates with low silica and alumina contents. While high iron grades are essential for DR-quality pellets, equally important are very low levels of deleterious elements,” Zurowski says.
The goethite results could also inform future resource work. High Tide says some goethite-rich material was excluded from the existing estimate because of concerns about its processing performance.
A 2.5-tonne pilot plant program is underway using all three mineralisation types. The resulting concentrate and pellets are intended for basket testing in a direct reduced iron plant and hydrogen-based reduction test work.
The work uses material from the company’s 2022 drilling and follows its recently completed 27-hole, 6,335m campaign. High Tide also added 925 hectares, expanding the property to 3,401 hectares.
Labrador West hosts an inferred mineral resource of 655 million tonnes @ 28.84% iron.
High Tide Resources is a Canadian explorer that owns Labrador West and the Lac Pegma copper-nickel-cobalt deposit near Fermont, Québec.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Main image: High Tide Resources
